Adjustable golf club



Oct. 12, 1948. w. B. WATKINS ,2

ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB Filed April 4, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l m 7 u-JWH d 601 Oct. 12, 1948. w. B. WATKINS ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed April. 4, 1945 1 Maw.

. Inventor 7141/1'0/12 5 745M125.

Patented Oct. 12, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved golf club, and one of its objectsis to provide a club with a head and means for adjusting the head todifferent angular relations to the shaft of the club, so that the clubmay be adapted for difierent driving strokes or plays, or adapted foruse by a right or left handed person or player.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple andpositive locking means between the head and the lower end of the shaftor handle ferrule whereby the head may be held in various adjustablepositions, so that a single club may be used to do the work of many golfclubs.

Another object of the invention is to provide the blade of the head witha detachable and interchangeable weight.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists incertain new and useful combinations, constructions, and arrangements ofparts, clearly described in the following specification, and fullyillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in vertical section, and

partly in side elevation, showing the improved adjusting means betweenthe handle or shaft ferrule and the blade of the head.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, showing the index markings for adjusting thehead to various striking positions.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view, showing a detachable weightmember coupled to the blade of the head.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a coupling pin.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the locking bolt.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the detachable weight member.

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 'l-'l of Fig.1, this looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the practicalapplication of my invention, 5 designates a handle or shaft, on thelower end of which the ferrule 6 is mounted, in any approved manner.

The ferrule 6 is constructed with an integral cylindrical extension I,which is of smaller diameter than the sleeve or main part of ferrulewhich encloses the lower end of the shaft or handle. This extension 1 isformed with an internally screw threaded hole 8, which receives theupper end of the externally screw threaded shank 9 of the locking boltID.

The locking bolt i0 is considerably widerthan the screw threaded shank9, and is constructed I of the blade with parallel side faces and withparallel edge faces, while the lower end of the bolt is rounded. Thisenlarged body portion l I of the locking bolt 15 formed with anelongated opening l2, located midway of the edges thereof, and thecurved lower edge portion !2a of this opening is formed with a pluralityof locking teeth 13. These teeth are disposed in concave circular are 0semi-conical formation 'ad'ace 1 ends of the opening l2. J m OppositeThe locking bolt ill is enclosed by the housing 54, which is providedwith an axial passage to receive the bolt, and to allow a certain amountof longitudinal movement of the bolt in this pas sage or opening. Thishousing is formed with a plane inner face it, against which the innerend I? of the head is adapted to fit.

The blade I1 is provided with a stub shaft 48 which extends from theinner end thereof, and which has a cylindrical portion ita adjacent theinner end of the blade and another cylindrical portion Nib at the outerend of the shaft. The shaft is milled or reduced between the twoportions lfia and Hib, to provide a narrower cylindrical portion 180,and conical portions 58d and file outwardly thereof. The intermediatecylindrical portion l8c and the conical portions ltd and We are formedwith looking teeth 59 which are adapted to have locking engagement withthe teeth E3 of the locking bolt Ill.

The cylindrical inner portion 811 of the stub shaft 98 has a snugbearing at 2c in the inner side wall E la of the housing M, and theouter cylindrical portion lab has a snug bearing at 25 on the side walliii) of the housing i l.

The locking bolt I 63 is propelled in the opening or axial passage i5 ofthe housing it, by turning the handle or shaft and the ferrule 6. Byturning the handle and ferrule, which is positively fitted on the handleor shaft, the screw threaded shank 9 is shifted longitudinally in theextension of the ferrule. When the locking bolt is in the position shownin Fig. l, the handle or shaft is turned so that the locking bolt isforced down wardly thus disengaging the locking teeth it of the stubshaft i8 from the locking teeth i3 of the locking bolt. To adjust theblade or head, it is merely turned to the desired angular position, andthen locked by turn-ing the ferrule 55 until the teeth 53 engage theteeth IE on the stub shaft It. When this is done the inner end of theblade will be forced against the inner plane face of the relation and 3of the locking bolt 'III are forced into locking engagement with theteeth I9 of the stub shaft N3, the blade I! will he rigidly locked inits adjusted position.

The housing I4 is provided with a series of index markings 22, which arelocated adjacent the normal position of the upper edge of the blade 11,and this blade is formed with a cooperating index mark 22a. When.the-iblade is adjusted theangle of adjustment may'lce determined by thegraduae tion markings 22.

The housing 14 is prevented from turning on the ferrule 6, by means ofthe latch 23, which is pivoted to the housing at 23a, and adapted toengage a recess 23-!) formed in the extension of the ferrule 6.

A detachable weight 25 is provided for attachment to the rear side ofthe blade I1, andforthis purpose this weight 25 is formed with orprovided with rigid dowel pins 26 and 21, located near the outer endsthereof, which are adapted to snugly engage the transverse openings 26aand 21a 'formeddn the blade H. The detachable weight '25 is alsoprovided with acoupling pin or-screw 2.8, which is constructed withahead 28a, and which is extended through the transverse and centralopening 29 of the'face member 25, which opening is enlarged at its outerend to'receive the coil compression spring '30, which engages themally-engages'th'e shoulder 286 of the weight 25.

The inner end of thepin'28 is provided'with a bayonetislot 32, whichcouples to a pin 32a. in a passage formed in itheblade f'l. -Bytightening the pin on'theblade, the spring '30 is placed undercompression,'thus increasing the pressure on the meeting facesof'theblade H andthe weight'25 The split ring 3! ,is'used 'to assemblethe pin 28 in theweight and 'skeepit from being detached .trom the 'facemember, so that it will always be in position.

It is-obviousthat various types of weights may be provided, :and each of:these coupled to the blade in the manner :described, to provide a-clubleaving the proper balance to watch :the stroke to be employed.

It is understood that various changes in the details of construction,their combination and when-the handle shaft-is rotated relative to :the

internally screw threaded boss projecting axially from the ferrule, ahousing rotatably mounted.

on the boss, a bolt slidable longitudinally in said housing, said bolthaving a longitudinal elongated slot extending therethrough, the housinghaving an opening in one side wall communicating with V the slot in thebolt, a blade, a stud extending axially from one end of the blade, saidstud entering the opening in the housing and extending the housing and athreaded shank on the bolt threadedlyengaged in the threaded bosswhereby when the handle shaft is rotated relative to the:h-o'us'ingtheibolt will be moved to engage or disengage .the teeththereon with those of the stud. 2. A golf club which includes a handleshaft, a ferrule on one end of said handle shaft, an

internally screw threaded boss, projecting "axially from'the ferrule, ahousing rotatably mounted on the boss, a bolt slidable longitudinally in"said housing, said bolt having a longitudinal elongated slot extendingtherethrough, the housing having an opening in onesidewall-communicating with the slot in the bolt, a blade, a studextending axially from one end of the blade, said stud entering theopening in the housing and extending through the slot in the bolt,"peripheral teeth on the stud, teeth on one end wall of the slot for'cooperation with the teeth on the stud in'holding the blade againstturning movement relative to the housing and a threaded shank on the:bolt threadedly engagedin'the threaded 'boss whereby housing the boltwill be moved to engage-or disengage'the teeth thereon withthose :of the:stud and a latch 'releasably to lock the :shait iagainstturning-movement relative to the housing.

winner/r 13; WAEKINS. REFERENCES CITED V The following references are ofrecordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES V PATENTS "Number "Name 'Date 1,058,463 Pringle -'Apr.- 8,1913 1,676,518 Boles July 10,1928 1,697,846 Anderson -Jan. 8, 19291,702,916 Novak Feb. 19, 11929 2,091,794 Pes'ter ;Aug.J-31, "19372,163,091 Held Junei20,1939 r 2,198,981 Sullivan Apr. 30,1940 2,225,930

Sexton Dec. 24,31940

